Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd Acquires 7,447 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 27.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,270 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,447 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $2,245,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AZN. Albion Financial Group UT raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 22.9% during the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 543,398 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 101,225 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth $55,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN stock traded down $0.84 during trading on Monday, reaching $74.09. 3,740,890 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,936,571. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $72.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.91. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $62.75 and a twelve month high of $87.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $229.77 billion, a PE ratio of 32.78, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

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AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a yield of 2%. This is a positive change from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating for the company. UBS Group raised shares of AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.